Jug Wreck
- Schooner
- 54ffw 16m
- 110ft Length
- Lorin OH, Lake Erie
- 41 33.310 82 02.826
On January 11, 1856, the IVANHOE, a schooner carrying a cargo of coal, collided with the schooner ARAB near Black River, Lake Erie. The IVANHOE was completely lost in the accident, while the ARAB sustained minor damage. The total property loss for both vessels amounted to $7,600, as reported by the Buffalo Morning Express.
On October 5, 1855, the Cleveland Telegraph relayed the news that the IVANHOE, loaded with 300 tons of coal and en route from Cleveland to Mackinaw, was struck and sunk by an unidentified vessel the previous night. Fortunately, the yawl boat carrying eight men, one boy, and two women was rescued by the propeller OHIO and brought safely to shore in Cleveland.
The following day, the Buffalo Daily Republic provided further details on the incident. The schooner ARAB, under the command of Captain Grover, arrived in port and reported that it had been hit by a vessel, presumably the IVANHOE, shortly after leaving Huron. According to Captain Grover, the ARAB was sailing downwind with starboard tacks and displaying a white light when it observed a schooner approximately three points off its starboard bow. Instead of maintaining its course, the unknown vessel altered its course and struck the ARAB near the foremast on the starboard side, causing damage to the bulwarks and creating a small hole in the hull near the deck. The vessels separated but collided again, this time striking the ARAB on its quarter. The collision occurred on a dark and windy night. Captain Grover was unable to offer assistance but noted that he observed the lights of the other vessel for some time after the incident, which took place on Thursday night of that week.
The loss of the IVANHOE and its cargo was further described in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The propeller OHIO, commanded by Captain Kennedy, arrived with the captain and crew of the IVANHOE, who were found in the yawl boat approximately four miles west of Black River and five miles from the shore. The IVANHOE had departed the previous evening with a load of 278 tons of coal destined for Mackinac. Captain Dennis Galligan of the IVANHOE reported that his vessel was struck by an unknown schooner around midnight, prompting the crew and one female passenger to abandon ship and seek refuge in the yawl boat. Shortly after, the IVANHOE sank. The newspaper did not have information on whether the vessel or its cargo were insured, but there was a dispute between the owners and underwriters regarding the insurance status of the cargo.
As of its current location, the IVANHOE rests upright on a mud bottom in Western Lake Erie off Avon Lake, Ohio. The vessel remains partially intact amidships but has collapsed at the bow and stern. It lies at a depth of 54 feet (16 meters). The IVANHOE was a schooner built in 1848 in Irving, New York, with dimensions of 110 feet (33 meters) in length, 25 feet 9 inches (8 meters) in beam, and 9 feet 3 inches (3 meters) in depth. It had a tonnage of 237. In its early years, the IVANHOE operated between Buffalo, New York, and ports in Conneaut, Ohio, and Erie, Pennsylvania, transporting lumber. On September 28, 1849, it ran aground in Conneaut, Ohio, before meeting its fate on October 4, 1855, when it sank in Lake Erie due to the collision with the ARAB.
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